The S40 was the result of a joint-venture between Volvo Cars and Mitsubishi; the two companies built their own series of cars on a common technical platform side by side in the Dutch NedCar plant. With the S40, Volvo offered the same comfort and safety levels in compact size as the drivers of the larger 850 had already enjoyed for some years.

Soon, the two original versions (with 1.8 and 2.0 litre engines) were supplemented with new economic and exciting models. There was a fuel-thrifty turbodiesel version as well as a high-performance T4 (200 bhp) performance S40 model, which was a worthy successor to classic performance Volvos like the PV544 Sport and the 240 Turbo.

However, the S40 did not only become popular on regular roads - it also became a spectacular racing car which notched up its most remarkable success when Rickard Rydell won the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) in his S40 in 1998. The S40 has also been quite successful in the Swedish Touring Car Championship (STCC).

Descriptions and facts in this press material relate to Volvo Car Group's international car range. Described features might be optional. Vehicle specifications may vary from one country to another and may be altered without prior notification.